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At 12:25 on July 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the first residential complex built in the city of Shusha.
Axar.az reports that Aydin Karimov, the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Shusha district, provided information to the head of state and the Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan about the complex.
The residential complex consists of 23 buildings and covers a total area of nearly 8 hectares. The foundation of this complex was laid by the President of Azerbaijan in August 2021. The complex includes a total of 450 apartments: 28 one-room, 195 two-room, 190 three-room, 30 four-room, and 7 five-room apartments. Service apartments have been allocated here for former internally displaced persons and for employees of various state institutions working in the city of Shusha. So far, 376 families of former internally displaced persons, totaling 1,409 people, have been resettled in this residential complex. Extensive landscaping and beautification work has been carried out in the area.
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On July 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reviewed the progress of construction work at the New Shusha Mosque.
Assistant to the President, Anar Alakbarov, informed the head of state and the Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan about the ongoing work.
It was noted that the mosque, whose foundation was laid in 2021 by the President of Azerbaijan and whose architectural design carries symbolic significance, will stand out as a modern architectural example in the historic city. According to President Ilham Aliyev’s instructions, the shape of the mosque will resemble the number 8, symbolizing Victory Day—the day Shusha was liberated from occupation. The mosque’s two minarets will be shaped like the number 11, representing the 11th month in which Shusha and Karabakh were freed from occupation. The minarets will be 72 meters high, and the mosque is being built in the upper part of Shusha. The exterior of the mosque building will be adorned with geometric patterns used on the minarets of Shusha’s ancient mosque. Currently, more than 60 percent of the work has been completed. The construction is expected to be completed next year.
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On July 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the "Heydar Aliyev and Karabakh" exhibition at the Creativity Center in Shusha, which has been restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
The building, listed among the architectural monuments of national importance, formerly housed the caravanserai of Agha Kahraman Mirsiyab oglu. During restoration work carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation since 2022, the building was returned to its original state. The Creativity Center was inaugurated on May 10, 2023.
The exhibition showcases rare photographs, documents, and video materials reflecting National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s contributions to the social, economic, political, and cultural development of Karabakh. The exhibition also features photos of the National Leader's visits to Karabakh, as well as various meetings and events he attended there.
It should be noted that 1969 marked a turning point in the history of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Despite the complex historical context, the great leader succeeded in implementing wide-ranging reforms in all spheres of life in the region. The launch of the Agdam–Khankendi railway in 1979 was not only a strategic step by the National Leader to strengthen Karabakh’s economic and infrastructural ties with other regions of Azerbaijan but also a significant historical achievement.
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On July 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov viewed the statues of Azerbaijan’s renowned figures Natavan, Bulbul, and Uzeyir Hajibeyli, which were shot at by Armenians during the occupation.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was informed that during the occupation, the Armenians attempted to take these statues to Armenia to melt them down. Thanks to the intervention of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, the statues were retrieved from Armenia and brought back to Azerbaijan, where they were kept for some time in the yard of the Art Museum in Baku. After Shusha was liberated from occupation, these statues were returned to their original places.
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On July 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the Bulbul House-Museum in Shusha.
Member of the National Assembly Polad Bulbuloglu informed the guest that the prominent musician was born and spent his childhood in this house. By the order of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the decision of the Executive Committee of the Shusha City People's Deputies Soviet in 1982, the house where Bulbul was born and lived was turned into his house-museum. The building, repaired between 1982-1983, was equipped with a museum exhibition, and an administrative building was constructed in front of it. The house-museum ceased its activities in 1992 during the First Karabakh War due to Armenian vandalism. After the liberation of Shusha, restoration work began on the Bulbul House-Museum, along with other historical and cultural monuments, and the museum was reopened in August 2021 after restoration was completed.
A new bust of Bulbul has been erected in the courtyard of the house-museum. During the period when Shusha was under occupation, the vandalized bust of Bulbul was preserved to demonstrate Armenian brutality.
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On July 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the Mehmandarov Mansion Complex in Shusha.
The guest was informed that the complex, consisting of large and small residential buildings, a family mosque, and a spring, was built in the 18th century by representatives of the Mehmandarov family.
It was noted that the Mehmandarov Mansion Complex, one of the rare examples of Azerbaijan’s rich architectural traditions, was restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Since October 2021, repair and restoration work has been carried out on the complex, including the family mosque and the spring on the grounds, with the spring's roof restored to its original state. This spring was inaugurated in September 2022 by President Ilham Aliyev during his inspection of the restoration works at the complex. On May 9, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony of the Mehmandarov Mansion Complex after the restoration works were completed.
Following the restoration, a museum exhibition was also established in the mansion complex. The exhibition, themed “The House of the Karabakh Nobleman,” is based on the interior of a Karabakh nobleman’s house and the lifestyle characteristics of an intellectual at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Over 150 antique items were used in arranging the exhibition.
